1975 Australian Senate election

See also: Members of the Australian Senate, 1974–1975

1975 Australian Senate elections

← 1974 13 December 1975 1977 →
All 64 seats in the Australian Senate 33 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	95.39%[1]
First party Second party   Leader Reg Withers Ken Wriedt Party Liberal/National coalition Labor Leader since 20 December 1972 10 February 1975 Leader's seat Western Australia Tasmania Seats before 29 29 Seats after 35 27 Seat change 6 2 Popular vote 3,706,989 2,931,310 Percentage 51.74% 40.91% Swing 7.85% 6.38%
Senators elected in the 1975 federal election
Leader of the Senate before election Reg Withers Liberal/National coalition Elected Leader of the Senate Reg Withers Liberal/National coalition

A federal election was held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 64 seats in the Senate were up for election as well as all 127 seats in the House of Representatives, due to a double dissolution.

Background

The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during the 1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament.

Nationwide results

Senate (STV) – 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) – Informal 9.10%

Party			First preference votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Liberal–NCP coalition (total)		3,706,989	51.74	+7.85	35	35	+6
		Liberal–NCP joint ticket	2,855,721	39.86	+5.09	17	*	*
		Liberal	793,772	11.08	+3.26	16	26	+3
		National Country	41,977	0.59	−0.71	1	8	+2
		Country Liberal	15,519	0.22	+0.22	1	1	+1
	Labor		2,931,310	40.91	−6.38	27	27	−2
	Democratic Labor		191,049	2.67	−0.89	0	0	0
	Liberal Movement		76,426	1.07	+0.11	1	1	0
	Workers		62,385	0.87	+0.87	0	0	0
	Family Movement		45,658	0.64	+0.64	0	0	0
	Australia		34,632	0.48	–0.91	0	0	0
	United Tasmania		1,227	0.02	–0.01	0	0	0
	Socialist		727	0.01	+0.01	0	0	0
	Independents		114,310	1.60	–0.52	1	1	0
	Total		7,164,713			64	64	+4

Notes

• Independent: Brian Harradine (Tasmania)

See also

• 1975 Australian federal election
• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1975
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1974–1975

References

1. Voter turnout – previous events, Australian Electoral Commission, retrieved 21 June 2026